What does barbarically mean?
Barbarically is an adverb meaning in a cruel, brutal, or uncivilized manner. It is typically used to characterize actions, treatment, or speech that show little regard for human dignity, basic decency, or accepted rules of conduct. The word is strongly evaluative: describing something as barbarically cruel or barbarically violent emphasizes both the severity of the act and its departure from civilized standards. It can also describe conduct as ignorant, violent, or disorderly, especially when contrasted with humane or restrained behavior. In formal reporting, literary criticism, and forceful public debate, “barbarically” is often used to condemn an event, but such deployments carry an unmistakable accusatory tone. The word belongs to a family based on “barbaric,” ultimately derived from a Greek term for foreigners or people whose speech was unintelligible to Greeks. Its usefulness lies in its strong moral coloring: it identifies conduct not merely as bad, but as exceptionally cruel or uncivilized.
adverbIn a cruel, brutal, or uncivilized manner.
- In a cruel, brutal, or uncivilized manner.
"They were condemned for barbarically destroying villages and displacing thousands of families."
"The witness testified that the prisoners had been barbarically beaten."
"The official apologized for speaking so barbarically to the refugees."
Before “barbarian” became an insult in English, the Greek barbaros could simply mean a foreigner whose speech was unintelligible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does barbarically come from?
The English adverb belongs to a family based on the adjective “barbaric,” which comes from Latin barbaricus, a form related to Greek barbaros. Greek barbaros was used for foreigners or people whose speech was unintelligible to Greeks; its English relatives later developed the senses “savage,” “uncivilized,” and “cruel.” Cognates such as “barbarian,” “barbarism,” “barbarous,” and “barbarize” preserve the same historical root.
How barbarically is actually used
The word has a strongly negative connotation and typically characterizes cruelty, brutality, or conduct that violates basic human decency. It is more emphatic than a neutral intensifier such as “severely” and is often used in formal reporting, criticism, and public condemnation.
Easily confused with barbarically
Barbarically is an adverb that modifies an action, whereas barbaric is an adjective that describes a person, act, or practice.